PLAYER: DeVonta Smith.
COLLEGE: Alabama
TEAM: Philadelphia Eagles.
POSITION: Wide receiver.
HEIGHT: 6-0.
WEIGHT: 170.
DRAFT: Round 1, 10, 2021
2022 STATS: 95 receptions, 1,196 yards, 7 TDs.
From David Tyree’s “Helmet Catch” to Malcolm Butler’s goal line interception, the Super Bowl is rife with stories of “B List” players who had a huge impact on the Super Bowl.
Tyree, of course, caught a 32-yard pass off his helmet with 59 seconds left that set up the Giants’ winning touchdown in a 17-14 upset of the undefeated Patriots. Tyree, a former sixth-round pick, had four receptions for 35 yards with no touchdowns during the regular season. He had three catches for 43 yards and one touchdown in Super Bowl XLII.
Butler had signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of West Alabama in 2014. His pick of a Russell Wilson pass with 20 seconds left in Super Bowl XLIX secured New England’s 28-24 win over the Seahawks. It was the first pick of Butler’s career. He became a starter the next season.
With Super Bowl LVII days away, who will emerge as the unexpected star?
This is the fifth in a BetBasics.com series intended to find the player worth a Super Bowl parlay, or dare we say, an MVP trophy bet.
When the 2022 Super Bowl was on the line, Rams coach Sean McVie came up with a brilliant strategy – get the ball to the best friggin player on the field, wide receiver Cooper Kupp. So much for game planning.
Kupp finished with eight catches for 92 yards two touchdowns and the Super Bowl MVP trophy. He became the ninth wide receiver to win that coveted trophy. In an age of forward passes and wide receiver protection, picking DeVonta Smith, a Heisman Trophy winner, to emerge as an unexpected star is pushing it. But here’s the key:
When the lights get bright, Smith becomes the brightest of lights.
As a freshman at Alabama, Smith caught one pass in the CFP National Championship game – it was the game-winner in overtime. Fast forward four years. Alabama and Smith are back in the championship game. Smith makes 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns.
Big Game DeVonta.
Now we find ourselves in Smith’s first Super Bowl and the player with big game DNA is wearing green and white. Smith is not the Eagles alpha receiver, that honor goes to A.J. Brown, who happens to be one of QB Jalen Hurts’ best friends. And the Eagles are a run-first team, having rushed for an NFL single-season record 39 touchdowns.
Smith is not option 1, 2, or 3.
But the lights will never be brighter than Sunday in Las Vegas. Somethings tells us Big Game DeVonta will put himself in the spotlight in the biggest game of the year.
We built this three-leg parlay at BetMGM – Eagles giving 1.5 points plus Hurts and Smith to score at touchdown. We got +675 and put down $30 for a payout of $232.50, which net us $202.50.
Smith is +2200 to win MVP.